Video : a brief history of DIY bridge hammocks

[stormcrow]

Is there anything you stink at? LOL.

First of all, I want to echo many of Turks comments regarding the smoothness (for lack of a better word) of this video! The best transitions and editing are the ones that are imperceptible while viewing the finished product (unless you are looking for them) and yours does that very well.

I can totally see you standing at the front of a lecture hall at some college somewhere. It was noticeable that it was not your first time in front of people.

The video was VERY informative. I am so psyched about seeing some of the bridges at Mt Rogers in less than a couple of months! I already have a little binder with many of the tutorials and sewing instructions on this and other sites (it is getting a little out of hand!). I also have a quilt to make first but I can see a bridge in my future.

With the proverbial "homemade video" bar set so high, I am a little intimidated to pick up my little camera for the next video!

Adam

[Peter_pan]

Grizz,

Great video.... perhaps the best on the site, todate.

We appreciate the brief mention of the JRB Prototype displayed at Trail Days 2007 that really started all of the bridge hammock exploration/creation of the last two years.

While Jacks R Better, LLC is clearly a business that has become the largest source of commercially availible hammock under quilts and hammock accessories the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock added JRB to the list of hammock manufacturers as well...

A point that is missed in this review of ideas, approaches, techniques is that in the 8-10 months prior to TD 2007 JRB did all the same design type work to create the BMBH and all the work with the USA factory to insure producability of the design and then bring the BMBH to the market. Issues of stability, length, depth of the suspension curve, its math, design of the first bug net, parabolic end caps (FWIW, rectangular and triangular designed end caps were discarded along the way because the parablic designs were more exact a fit and actually more factory producable once debugged), design and sourcing of light weight colapsible spreader bars, consideration of the tarp issues and the all new design and size of the JRB 11x10 Cat tarp were all done by two HF members, Smee and me.

In the early days this thread was titled JRB Bridge Hammock.

We are pleased that so many fellow forum members and friends took the potential of our modern day approach, base designs, materials etc to heart and continued our trail blazing work in the furtherment of bridge hammocks. They really are a comfort level above.

We commend the energy and accomplishment of all the pioneers building "Bridges".

Pan

[Ramblinrev]

Grizz...

I think the DMB is a very important part of the evolution of the DIY hammocks for several reasons. 1) I learned a lot about the bridge hammock by making the DMB. I started making the DMB before I made my first bridge, which was a mistake. The two technologies were intertwined at that point. Making the first Bridge helped me understand what was going on in the DMB and making the DMB helped me understand more about both the gathered end and and bridge. While I can't speak for Turkeyboy, for me the extending of the fabric beyond the suspension arc led directly to the concept of the self-closing end caps. I also see a direct influence on the migration of the spreaders to the shoulders as the "extra fabric" both at head end and foot end was played with. The DMB gave the impetus to work on the tapered bridge where the foot end is narrower than the head. I see this in the experiments using the single head end spreader bar in the DMB.

I am sure there are other ways in which it contributed as well. I fully understand your not wanting to turn the video into the Grizz fest but at the same time, I think the DMB has a pivotal role in the evolution you document.

I don't think a "construction vid" is needed for the DMB. The text instructions are very good. But I would encourage you to do something with the concept as it pushed the envelope of design. Just my two cents on a further exploration of the history and evolution of the DIY Bridge.

I don't use the DMB much any more partly because the Bottom Entry/Exit Portal (BEEP) disrupts the usefulness of of the pad pocket and partly because I am dealing with the HH Explorer now instead of the Safari which makes a difference to me. But I did base my current double bottomed Bridge on the knowledge I gained from the DMB.

FWIW... I am a history buff the way you are a quant. So maybe I just see a connection that others don't care about. That's fine by me. And now... I'll stop beating the horse and either let some one ride it, or let it die..

[Mustardman]

Always with the acronyms... what does DMB stand for?

[angrysparrow]

Always with the acronyms... what does DMB stand for?

Dual Mode Bridge.

Acronyms are not evil.

[turkeyboy]

While I can't speak for Turkeyboy, for me the extending of the fabric beyond the suspension arc led directly to the concept of the self-closing end caps.

I first tried a self-closing end-cap before Grizz posted info on the DMB (I think). Grizz mentioned this in the video when he said I had created a method of folding the material back on itself, and he demonstrated this with his hammock in the video. The hammock in the video hanging over a swamp with the alligator used that method of self-closing end-cap.

That method turned out to be less effective for me than the later method which did come from the DMB of Grizz genious, which also happens to be the method I used in the yellow DMB pictured in Grizz's video (still under construction in the photo).

I think for me the amazing part about this is to see how the bridge evolved, and how everybody seemed to use each other's insights to make the next version better, or at least more customized. I suspect the evolution will continue, although my suspition is that the incremental changes will be smaller.

[GrizzlyAdams]

Pan-glad you liked the video, and I appreciate the OK to put in a picture of Traildays BMBH. I stared at that picture a lot in the early days, mostly trying to figure out how deep the hammock was.

What you and Smee have done is remarkable. You knew you had to design a system of hammock, insulation, and tarp that meet certain constraints

• was turn-key, solidly constructed, reliable.
• was backwards compatible with your quilt line, if not your tarp line.
• could be manufactured in bulk, at a reasonable cost.
• was three, maybe even four season.
• was comfortable enough (and light enough) to warrant customers investing it in.

Design variables like the length of the spreader bar, the depth of the hammock, choice of spreader bars, support for the bug-net, these all influence or are influenced by the constraints above. You did the work quietly at JRB Skunkworks Inc., sprung the result on the world at Traildays, and HF started buzzing about it. I hope it's been or will become a commercial success for you. It's a design that was shaped by concerns about manufacturing and marketing.

But a version of the BMBH that people could buy, poke, prod, photograph, or measure didn't hit the market until, I dunno, Fall 2007 sometime. During that initial rush of DIY bridge hammock activity the JRB BMBH was like BigFoot, reported to have been seen in the mist somewhere, but no one was really sure what it was or what its particulars were. The DIY activity was triggered by the Traildays prototype, but was guided at first by the Aussie design, as it was being demonstrated by TeeDee. At the time I sort of imagined you and Smee off someplace giggling at some of our efforts (well, my efforts anyway), with a sort of "been there, done that" look. But even so, the DIY activity was shaped by a different set of constraints

• could be assembled by parts normally available to normal consumers at low incremental cost. This was particularly problematic with the spreader bars, and is why I think schrochem is a hero for finding a really affordable solution that requires no tinkering whatsoever.
• Didn't require overly sophisticated sewing skills or machinery to make.
• Was fun to make.
• Had a coolness factor that conveys braggin' rights over at HF.

The "system" aspect of the design was not foremost in most DIYer's minds I think (TeeDee would be an exception), although I always knew as I was futzing around trying to solve one problem or other that the issue of the tarp was coming up soon.

All of this is to say that the DIY strain of bridge hammocks shares some DNA with the BMBH, but is by and large a different species. At least that's my opinion, and why I didn't think it necessary (or desirable) to dwell on what you guys might have done in designing the BMBH.

The point you make though that a couple of HF members are responsible for the BMBH is a good one though, and I wish I thought to include that in the introduction. It is different than if another commercial manufacturer who was not part of this community had done it. Ain't naming no names here....

Grizz

[stormcrow]

It is different than if another commercial manufacturer who was not part of this community had done it. Ain't naming no names here....

Grizz

That's a good thing. We wouldn't want to offend anyone does not participate in our forum since they have nothing gain from it....

Adam

[TeeDee]

Grizz - a great video - shows your professionalism and great presence on camera (and in the classroom). Outstanding work.


Pan - I don't know about anybody else, but I do want to correct one misconception you seem to have - I had never seen a JRB BMBH and knew nothing about them when I started making Bridges. I have still never seen or touched a JRB BMBH.

My ONLY insight at the beginning was the Australian site and the photos and drawing posted there. I have since moved far beyond that design.

I could write a lot more, but feel that it would not be proper on the forums. I appreciate your contributions to the hammocking community, but speaking for MYSELF ONLY, I would appreciate your doing a little less marketing on the forums. I'm beginning to see too much of it. I feel free to speak my mind on this since I know that I am generally not much liked on the forums because I do tend to do just that.

Grizz,

Great video.... perhaps the best on the site, todate.

We appreciate the brief mention of the JRB Prototype displayed at Trail Days 2007 that really started all of the bridge hammock exploration/creation of the last two years.

While Jacks R Better, LLC is clearly a business that has become the largest source of commercially availible hammock under quilts and hammock accessories the Bear Mountain Bridge Hammock added JRB to the list of hammock manufacturers as well...

A point that is missed in this review of ideas, approaches, techniques is that in the 8-10 months prior to TD 2007 JRB did all the same design type work to create the BMBH and all the work with the USA factory to insure producability of the design and then bring the BMBH to the market. Issues of stability, length, depth of the suspension curve, its math, design of the first bug net, parabolic end caps (FWIW, rectangular and triangular designed end caps were discarded along the way because the parablic designs were more exact a fit and actually more factory producable once debugged), design and sourcing of light weight colapsible spreader bars, consideration of the tarp issues and the all new design and size of the JRB 11x10 Cat tarp were all done by two HF members, Smee and me.

In the early days this thread was titled JRB Bridge Hammock.

We are pleased that so many fellow forum members and friends took the potential of our modern day approach, base designs, materials etc to heart and continued our trail blazing work in the furtherment of bridge hammocks. They really are a comfort level above.

We commend the energy and accomplishment of all the pioneers building "Bridges".

Pan

[FanaticFringer]

Wow Grizz what can I say? You da man.....or is that bridge man.
Thanks for having my bridge in your presentation. It's an honor. Many have said how easy they are to build, but for me it was not real easy and took a quite a number of hours. Coolest thing I ever made though.